Notes from "How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading"

Four levels of reading: Elementary(Basic), Inspectional(Review), Analytical, and Syntopical(Subject).

Preface

“How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading” was published by American philosopher Mortimer J. Adler in 1940, advocating for the improvement of personal thinking and learning abilities through systematic reading.

The book proposes four levels of reading: Elementary(Basic) reading, Inspectional(Review) reading, Analytical reading, and Syntopical(Subject) reading, and provides reading strategies for different types of books.

Summary

This book covers a very broad topic. The gap from Elementary(Basic) reading to Syntopical(Subject) reading is like the difference between a middle school student and a graduate student. Syntopical(Subject) reading goes beyond just “reading a book” and belongs more to research methods rather than reading techniques. And the writing can be quite wordy, so the book may not be worth reading cover to cover. Checking out mind maps might be enough.

Thinking

The four levels of reading from “How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading” offer real practical value. These are Elementary(Basic) reading, Inspectional(Review) reading, Analytical reading, and Syntopical(Subject) reading. Inspectional(Review) reading helps quickly decide if a book deserves deeper attention, saving time on low-value books. Analytical reading helps understand and absorb key ideas from important books more thoroughly.

I will apply these methods to improve my reading efficiency, gain more valuable knowledge within limited time, and take this opportunity to develop a habit of continuous reading, constantly expanding my knowledge boundaries and enriching my cognition.